Oct. 6 - Not-so-sweet sweeteners; the ‘incompleteness effect’
Section 1
Anteater Time Machine: Notice anything unusual about these bicycles parked near the Library and Commons buildings in October 1965? No locks! It was a different era, folks.
UCI ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS
Sugar substitutes may boost risk of heart disease, stroke
Artificial sweeteners — a staple used in soft drinks and many foods to reduce the health risks associated with real sugar — now appear to present their own hazards, say UCI Health cardiologists, citing a new study in BMJ, the British Medical Journal. Although the study didn’t establish a causal link to heart disease and cerebrovascular incidents, “it appears wise to limit the use of artificial sweeteners,” says Dr. Elizabeth H. Dineen, an integrative cardiologist.
Business prof Eric Spangenberg uncovers an unusual marketing trick.
How the ‘Incompleteness Effect’ drives consumer behavior
There’s something about a set of products that shoppers find hard to resist, according to Eric Spangenberg, professor of marketing and psychological science, and his fellow researchers. The perception that an experience would be incomplete without an entire collection of something plays into the unconscious sense of discomfort that people feel about incomplete tasks, he says: “Whether you’re selling all the ingredients in a recipe, a complete line of cosmetics, home furnishings or spa services … if you frame things as a set, you’re more likely to find retail success and consumers are more likely to feel fulfilled as buyers.” He adds: “A previous study we worked on with Audi found that customers who were shown a fully loaded vehicle and asked which features they wanted to eliminate ended up driving away with more features than those asked to build up a vehicle from a base model with few features.”
Road closures this Saturday
Because of UCI’s annual Anti-Cancer Challenge, road closures will be in effect from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday on Pereira Drive, California Avenue (between University and Michael Drake drives), and parts of Academy Way and Michael Drake Drive. Access to parking lots along Pereira Drive will be limited. Detour signs will be posted, and traffic directors will be available, but consider alternate routes to reach campus destinations. For more details, view a map that shows the affected areas and alternates.
UC NEWS AND GENERAL NEWS
Coffee vs. tea smackdown
Scientists have found that regularly drinking coffee or tea can provide a variety of health benefits. But which beverage fares best in a head-to-head matchup? The Washington Post analyzes the research.
EVENTS
Irvine Global Village Festival
Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (co-sponsored by UCI and UCI Health)
Staff Appreciation Virtual Scavenger Hunt
Monday, noon, through Thursday, 3 p.m. (co-sponsored by Staff Assembly and UCI Engagement Team)
Visit today.uci.edu to see and submit event listings. Events of general interest will be shared in UCI Digest two days before they occur.
UCI IN THE NEWS
Note: Some news sites require subscriptions to read articles. The UCI Libraries offer free subscriptions to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Orange County Register and The Washington Post for students, faculty and staff.
With Online Learning, ‘Let’s Take a Breath and See What Worked and Didn’t Work.’
The New York Times, Oct. 6
Cited: Di Xu, associate professor of higher education and public policy
UCI Law students, Afghan legal expert push for human rights
Spectrum News 1 (video), Oct. 5
Cited: Hashmat Nadirpor, UCI Law visiting associate project scientist, and David Kaye, clinical professor of law
Three scientists win chemistry Nobel Prize for developing ‘click’ and ‘bioorthogonal’ chemistry
STAT News, Oct. 5
Cited: Jenn Prescher, professor of chemistry
#UCICONNECTED
Students serve at a pop-up booth this week from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to promote health and wellness and provide resources on sexual health, COVID protective strategies, Monkeypox resources and general health. Hosted by the Program in Public Health, Center for Student Wellness & Health Promotion and the School of Medicine. Photo by Doug Everhart/UCI
#UCIconnected spotlights student, alumni, faculty and staff photos, essays, shoutouts, hobbies, artwork, unusual office decorations, activities and more. Send submissions via email or post on social media with the #UCIconnected hashtag.